I ducked into La Sardine around 2:00 for a late lunch after my Tour de Chicago. Shaking from hunger, cold and a near death experience (ok, not really, it was just a flat) all I could think about was a hot bowl of the famous Les Moules Marinières I read about before falling asleep last night. After reading the reviews of this always crowded French bistro, I was preparing myself for a bar seat and I was totally okay with it. There’s nothing I love more than eating dinner at the bar because the restaurant is that good and there is never any room. But to my surprise, no crowd at all. I walked in and then walked out immediately because I was a bit confused. Were they closed? Am I in the right place? Turns out that 2pm is the golden ticket time. The entire restaurant has cleared out (Harpo Studios is across the street – Hi Oprah!) and the chefs are recovering from the rush.
I took a seat next to the window, ordered, and sat in peace. Except for the part when I devoured the entire bowl of Les Moules Marinières and asked for more crusty French bread to sop up the sauce with. Yes, it was that good and if you can wait to take a late lunch the next time you’re in Chicago, you can avoid the bustling lunch crowd and have the entire restaurant to yourself. I found it less embarrassing when I ordered the extra bread basket.
Bon appetit!
